Collin



APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 1918. Patented June 24:

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J. A VCOL UN, DECD. 1. COLLIN. Aomlmsmnnlxf CAR STEP OPERATINGMECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR-$1918.

Patented June 24; 1919.

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JOSEPH A. COLLIN, or col-ions, NEW roan, asslelvon or one-HALF r0RUDOLPH ROULIER, or coHons, NEW Yonx; JULIA GQLLIN. ADMINISTRATRIXOFsAIn JOSEPH A. COLLIN, DECEASED.

GAR-STEIP-OPERATING MECHANISM.

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. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. COLLIN, a subject of Great Britain,residingat Gohoes, county of Albany, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Step-OperatingMechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the referencecharacters marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figurestherein.

This invention relates to vehicles such as street railway cars having afolding-step which is automatically raised and lowered in substantialsynchronism with the closing and opening of the car-door. It isdesirable in such a car to have the door partly closed before thefolding movement of the step begins.

The principal object of the present invention is to automaticallyoperate the step in. substantial synchronism with the operation of thedoor, whileperniitting an initial closing movement of the door beforethe folding of the step begins.

Other objects will appear in connection with the following description.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of a broken-away cornerportion of the body of a. street railway car with the floor partlybroken away to better show the stepoperating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the same taken on the broken line2 -2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on the broken line 3-3 in Fig.2, through the pivotal connection between the step'operating bracket andstep-operating link.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a connecting slide-block whereby thestep-operating bracket is connected with the step-operating link.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferredform, 1 is the platform floor forming part of a street car body from:which floor depends a sideplate, 2, also forming part of the car-body.

Upon the side-plate, 2, is pivotally mounted at 3, a folding car-step,4, shown in Fig. 2 in solid lines in lowered or unfolded positiomandindicated dotted lines in folded or raisedpositionm Fixed upon theunderside of the step, 4,

is abracket, 5, by means of which the step is raised and lowered.

A rotatory spindle, 6, forming part of the car-door-operating mechanismextends down through the platform floor and has fixed upon its lower enda crank, 7, whereby said crank is operatively connected with thecardoor-operating mechanism.

The car door and its operating mechanism, except the spindle, 6, are notshown in the drawings, as their construction and manner of operation arewell understood in the art and they form 110 part of the presentinvention. 1 1 1 a For the puligposesof the present invention, it willbe su icient to understandthat the spindle, 6, is insuch relation to thedoor and door-operatingmechanism that the spindle is rotated inclockwise direction as the door is opened, and in the reverse directionas the door-is closed. Thecar-step, 4, is operated insubstantialsynchronism with the operation of the door a link-connection, 8, betweenthe bracket, 5, and the crank, 7, which link-connection is made up of aplurality of members, the innermost member, 9, being pivotally connectedat 10, with the crank, 7.

The outermost-member, 11, of the link, 8,

made hollow, and contains a coil-spring,

12, which is adapted to engage a push-pin, 13, reciprocating in aslideway-aperture in said link-member.

The outer end of the lilikaneinber, 11, is slotted to form upper andlower cars, .14, and 15, respectively, and to form between said cars, aslidewayfor an car, 16, on a slideblock, 17, the body of the slide-blockbeing adapted to slide along the side of the ears, 14, 15, while itscar, 16, slides between said cars, 14 and 15.

The slide-block, 17, is secured in slidable relation to the link-member,11, by means of a pin, 18, which extends through elongated slots, '19,in the respective ears,l4 and 15, and also extends through an aperture,20, in the car, 16, of the slide-block, 17.

Provision is thus made for a slide-move ment of the slide-block, 17,longitudinally of the 11111;, e.

The ear, 16, on the slide-block, 17, is adapted to be operativelyengaged by the pushpin, 13,- but the length of the pin, 13, is solimited as to provide for substantial lostmotion between the pin and theslide-block, as shown by the space, 21, in Figs. 1 and 2.

The slide-block, 17, is pivotally connected with the car-stepoperatingbracket, 5, by means of a screw-bolt, 22.

After the car-door is. closed, the link, 8, will be thrust outward bymovement of the crank, 7, but this thrust-movement will be ineffectiveto raise the car-step until the lostmotion at 21, has been taken up.

.After this lost-motion has been taken up, by which time the car-doorwill have been partly closed, the outward thrust of the link, 11,.wil1be transmitted through the spring, 12, and push-pin, 13, to theslide-block, 17, and thus to the step-operating bracket, 5', which ispivotally connected with the slideblock, 17, as above described.

The step will continue to be thus raised in synchronism with the closingmovement of the car-door until the door is fully closed and the stepfully raised.

To avoid the use of locking mechanism for the door and step, it isdesirable to have the crank, 7, move slightly past its dead-center inraising or folding the step.

By making one of the members of the link, 8, resilient, as by thespring, 12, I am able t vpermit such movement of the crank, 7 beyond adead-center, without permitting partial unfolding of the step, as thetendency ofthe step to unfold is overcome by the force of said spring.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Y 1. Thecombination with a car-body; and a movable member operatively connectedwith ear-door-operating mechanism mounted upon said body; of a car-steppivotally mounted upon said body; a bracket connected with said step forraising and lowering the same; and a link-connection between saidbracket and said movable member of the cardoor-operating mechanism, saidlink-connection having adjacent to said bracket a hollow membercontaining a plunger-slideway and a slide-block-slideway; a slide-block1novable in said slide-block slideway; a pivotal connection between saidslide-block and said bracket; a coil-spring contained within said hollowmember; and a plunger movable in said plunger-slideway and yieldinglysupported by said spring against longitudinal thrust of saidslide-block.

2. The combination with a car-body; and a movable member operativelyconnected with eardoor-operating mechanism mounted upon said body; of acar-step pivotally mounted upon said body; a bracket connected with saidstep for raising and lowering the same; and a link-connection betweensaid br eket and said movable member of the eardoor-operating mechanism,said link-connection having adjacent to said bracket a hollow memberformed with longitudinally slotted ears and provided with aplunger-slideway; a slide-block slidably mounted between said cars; abolt inserted through the slots in said ears and through saidslide-block whereby the slide-block is secured to said ears and guidedin its movement longitudinally thereof; a pivotal connection betweensaid slideblock and said bracket; a coil-spring containcd within saidhollow member; and a plunger yieldingly supported by said spring againstlongitudinal thrust of said slideblock.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day ofMarch, 1918.

JOSEPH A. COLLIN.

Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. O.

